1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with novel 2-substituted-aminopropene-and propanenitriles; with antimicrobial compositions and their use in protecting industrial products and systems of a wide variety against the deteriorating action of bacteria and fungi; and with anti-inflammatory compositions and their use in treating pain, fever and inflammation.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
2-Substituted-aminopropenenitriles having alkyl substituents of six or less carbon atoms are known. See, for example, G. Adrian, Bull. Soc. Chim. Fr., No. 11, pp. 4160-4169 (1971); C. R. Seances Acad. Sci., 272, 494 (1971); and German Offenlegungschrift 1,965,872. However, unlike the compounds of the present invention, which always possess a higher alkyl substituent, the compounds of the prior art exhibit a high degree of mammalian toxicity and are only described as being useful in the preparation of polymers. See also Dybas et al., Developments in Industrial Microbiology, Vol. 19, pp, 347-353 (1978), which discloses 2-[(dimethylamino)methyl]-2-propenenitrile and 2-[(di-n-butylamino)methyl]-2-propenenitrile having antimicrobial activity. Again, however, these compounds exhibit a high degree of mammalian toxicity, unlike the compounds of the present invention.